Automated alert systems and distributed systems that use a variety of means to broadcast alerts, including via wireless device SMS text messages, pagers, voice messaging, email, commercial radio stations, Internet radio, satellite radio, television stations, and weather radio systems. Examples include the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), AMBER (“America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response”) Alerts and governmental weather system networks. Such systems may be operated by public safety organizations (for example, police, fire and emergency medical systems) in order to convey private messages to organization members, and interested parties may also opt in to receive public alerts on their cellular phones or subscribe to receive messages.